Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Playoffs)

Facing a possible 6th seed, RB Willis McGahee helped the Alckys overcome an 11-point deficit on Monday night and keep them in 3rd place. Can McGahee help continue his team's recent success throughout the playoffs, and bring a national championship to Athol?








Goal Line Stand (Playoffs)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette



How can a team average 63 points per game and still finish 3rd in an offense-heavy conference like the FAC-10? The answer may surprise you.

Athol A&M entered the 2007 season with minimal expectations, having gone 6-6 the previous year. QB Carson Palmer was underachieving, WR Randy Moss wouldn't shut up, and RB Willis McGahee couldn't stay healthy. The future did not look too bright for the Alckys, and Athletic Director Dave Grubb had had enough.

Moss was traded for a 2nd round pick to Fitchburg, in hopes of cleaning up the locker room. The coaching staff sat down with Palmer the day before training camp, telling him what they expected of their leader and their captain. McGahee showed up in preseason in the best shape of his life. All the pieces were coming together.

An opening day matchup at home against expansion Rakeville proved easier than expected, but was still a struggle. In fact, every week turned out to be a dogfight, with 4 of their first 5 wins coming by 7 points or fewer. 6-0 was a great start, but that was followed by 3 straight losses. Analysts were calling the Alckys' record a product of the schedule.

But champions aren't the best team throughout the year, they're the best team at the end of the season. Athol is the team to beat, getting wins against two fellow playoff teams in the final two weeks of the season. Can the Alckys take home the title, or will one of the other bowl contenders step up their game when it matters most...



...Anheuser-Busch was the hottest team from week 4-8, but all that came crashing to a halt when RB Adrian Peterson went down with a knee injury. 3 losses to finish the season ruined AB's dream season, but their high powered offense earned them the 6th seed. Even with a healthy Peterson, don't expect much from the struggling AB.

...Mexico has the most consistent offense in the league, scoring at least 70 points in 9 out of 11 games. However, their lack of explosion has hurt them in certain situations, such as their 120-92 loss to AB in Week 4. The Wildcats have only broken 90 twice (the other a 96-48 beatdown of Athol A&M in Week 7). Mexico lets the other team beat itself, rather than doing it on their own, and that's not how you win a championship.

...Golden has relied on their defense to carry them through most of the season. Having only broken 70 points in 4 games this year, they'll need to step up their scoring if they hope to make any sort of noise. Injuries have hurt them the most, with running backs Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson missing most of the season, and now WR Roy Williams inactive for the rest of the year. Newly-acquired Peyton Manning might be able to carry this team, but without a balanced offense, it'll be tough for the Gryphons to keep up with the rest of the post-season teams.

...Gillespie State is struggling at the wrong time. They started the season 8-1, spending a brief moment in the #1 spot, but have lost their last two by a combined 9 points. State has too many wide receivers for only a few starting spots, and no real quarterback to throw to them. Neither Jeff Garcia nor Jon Kitna are conference champion quarterbacks, even if they have the best tight end in the league to pass to. If their final game of the season against Athol A&M (Lost 64-62) is any indication, don't expect much from the Black Diamonds.

...Fitchburg Tech has been the most inconsistent team in the league, despite going 9-2 and finishing with the highest-scoring offense by 150 points. The Red Raiders put up 124 points on Dublin in Week 2, then followed it up with 63 in a loss to Golden. Their other loss came after scoring 104 against Kickery, only to lose to Anheuser-Busch due to a meager 47 points. They averaged 63 points in the final two weeks of the season, both wins, but that is not going to win them a championship. Someone is going to sneak up on this juggernaut, and they won't see it coming until they're on their way home for the off-season.



So don't be surprised when that 63 PPG squad finds a way to win every game during the playoffs, and Athol A&M's name is engraved on the conference championship plaque. The answer to why that low-scoring team will bounce everybody else out of the playoffs is quite simple...

Destiny.

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Round 1
(3) Athol A&M 70, (6) Anheuser-Busch 68
(5) Mexico 88, (4) Golden 62

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Final Regular Season Power Rankings
1. Fitchburg Tech (+1)
2. Athol A&M (+1)
3. Golden (+2)
4. Dublin (+2)
5. Mexico (-3)
6. Gillespie State (-2)
7. Arizona-Kickery ( - )
8. Stardust (+2)
9. Anheuser-Busch (-1)
10. Bud Heavy (+1)
11. Rakeville (-1)

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League Notes
- QB JaMarcus Russell's FAC-10 debut for Rakeville started off well, but ended quite abruptly. The rookie was 4-7 for 56 yards against Fitchburg Tech, but was pulled in the 2nd quarter after asking for opposing QB Tom Brady's autograph.

- Dublin did all it could to make the playoffs, but a Golden University win ended the Octoberfests' Cinderella season. Head Coach Brad Bodell was unavailable for comment, drowning his sorrows in a glass of Guinness.

- Gillespie State players, after a tough loss to Athol A&M, will still practice during their first round bye. QB Jon Kitna has refused to attend the mandatory practices saying, "This is NOT a 10-win team."